COLEGIUL NAȚIONAL PEDAGOGIC “CONSTANTIN BRĂTESCU”

LUCRARE DE ATESTAT LA LIMBA ENGLEZA

QUEEN ELIZABETH
II
PROFESOR COORDONATOR:
PATRICHI ECATERINA
ELEV: VASILICĂ CLAUDIA-ȘTEFANIA
SPECIALIZAREA: PROFIL VOCAȚIONAL ÎNVĂȚĂTOR-EDUCATOR
CLASA: XII B

2020
Constanța
CONTENTS

FOREWORD …………………………………………………………………… 2

1. EARLY LIFE ……………………………………………………………………. 3

2. HEIR PRESUMPTIVE …………………………………………………………. 4

2.1. SECOND WORLD WAR ………………………………………………………….. 5

2.2. MARRIAGE.…………………………………………............................................... 6

3. REIGN…………………………………………………………………………….. 7

3.2 CONTINUING EVOLUTION OF THE COMMONWALTH……………………... 8

3.3 ACCELERATION OF DECOLONISATION………………………………………. 9

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………… 10
 FOREWORD

This paper deals with the Queen of England, Elizabeth II. I have chosen to write about this topic
because the image of Queen Elizabeth II has fascinated people through the centuries. Conservative in
dress, she is well known for her solid-colour overcoats and matching hats which allow her to be seen
easily in a crowd. She attends many cultural events as part of her public role. Her main leisure interests
include horse racing, photography and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh corgis. Her views on
political issues and other matters and largely subject to conjucture. She has never given a press
interview and is otherwise not known to discuss her.
I believe that she is one of the most iconic female personalities. The Queen has ruled for longer
than any other Monarch in British history, becoming a much loved and respected figure across the globe.
Her extraordinary reign has seen her travel more widely than any other monarch, undertaking many
historic overseas visits. Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been
an important figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of enormous social change.
The Queen carries out all of her duties against the backdrop of a full personal life which has seen
her raise four children and welcome grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren to the Royal Family.
The Duke of Edinburgh has been – in her own words – her ‘strength and stay’ during her reign, whilst
other members of the Royal Family continue to offer vital support through their work in the UK and
overseas.

I think I speak for my generation when I say that the example and continuity provided by The
Queen is not only very rare among leaders but a great source of pride and reassurance.

-The Duke of Cambridge

1. EARLY LIFE

Elizabeth was born at 02:40 (GMT) on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal
grandfather, King George V. Her father, the Duke of York (later King George VI), was the second
son of the King. Her mother, the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother), was
the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. She was
delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfather's London house: 17 Bruton
Street, Mayfair. She was baptised by the Anglican Archbishop of York, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in
the private chapel of Buckingham Palace on 29 May, and named Elizabeth after her mother;
Alexandra after George V's mother, who had died six months earlier; and Mary after her paternal
grandmother. Called "Lilibet" by her close family, based on what she called herself at first, she
was cherished by her grandfather George V, and during his serious illness in 1929 her regular
visits were credited in the popular press and by later biographers with raising his spirits and aiding
his recovery. fd

Elizabeth's only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930. The two princesses were
educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion
Crawford. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature, and music. Crawford published a
biography of Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950,
much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeth's love of horses and dogs,
her orderliness, and her attitude of responsibility. Others echoed such observations: Winston
Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as "a character. She has an air of authority and
reflectiveness astonishing in an infant." Her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as "a jolly little
girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved".
 2. HEIR PRESUMPTIVE

During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in the line

of succession to the British throne, behind her uncle Edward and her
father. Although her birth generated public interest she was not
expected to become queen, as Edward was still young, and likely to
marry and have children of his own, who would precede Elizabeth in
the line of succession. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her
uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second in line to the
throne, after her father. Later that year, Edward abdicated, after his
proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a
constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeth's father became king, and she became heir
presumptive. If her parents had had a later son, he would have been heir apparent and above her in
the line of succession, which was determined by male-
preference primogeniture.

Elizabeth received private tuition in constitutional

history from Henry Marten, Vice-Provost of Eton
College, and learned French from a succession of native-
speaking governesses. A Girl Guides company, the 1st
Buckingham Palace Company, was formed specifically so
she could socialise with girls her own age. Later, she was
enrolled as a Sea Ranger.

In 1939, Elizabeth's parents toured Canada and the

United States. As in 1927, when they had toured
Australia and New Zealand, Elizabeth remained in Britain,
since her father thought her too young to undertake public
tours. She "looked tearful" as her parents departed. They
corresponded regularly, and she and her parents made the
first royal transatlantic telephone call on 18 May. ( The Coronation Of King George VI )
 2.1 SECOND WORLD WAR

In September 1939, Britain entered the Second World War. Lord

Hailsham suggested that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret should
be evacuated to Canada to avoid the frequent aerial bombing. This was rejected
by their mother, who declared, "The children won't go without me. I won't
leave without the King. And the King will never leave." The princesses stayed
at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, until Christmas 1939, when they moved
to Sandringham House, Norfolk. From February to May 1940, they lived
at Royal Lodge, Windsor, until moving to Windsor Castle, where they lived for most of the next five years. At
Windsor, the princesses staged pantomimes at Christmas in aid of the Queen's Wool Fund, which bought yarn to
knit into military garments. In 1940, the 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first radio broadcast during
the BBC's Children's Hour, addressing other children who had been evacuated from the cities. She stated: "We
are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our
share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well."

In 1943, Elizabeth undertook her first solo public appearance on a visit to the Grenadier Guards, of which
she had been appointed colonel the previous year. As she approached her 18th birthday, parliament changed the
law so she could act as one of five Counsellors of State in the event of her father's incapacity or absence abroad,
such as his visit to Italy in July 1944. In February 1945, she was appointed as an honorary second subaltern in
the Auxiliary Territorial Service with the service number of 230873.  

She trained as a driver and mechanic and was given the rank of honorary junior commander (female
equivalent of captain at the time) five months later. At the end of the war in Europe, on Victory in Europe Day,
Elizabeth and Margaret mingled anonymously with the celebratory crowds in the streets of London. Elizabeth
later said in a rare interview, "We asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. I remember we were
terrified of being recognised ... I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall,
all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief." Princess
Elizabeth went in 1947 on her first overseas tour, accompanying her
parents through southern Africa. During the tour, in a broadcast to
the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she made the
following pledge: "I declare before you all that my whole life,
whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the
service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.
 2.2 MARRIAGE

Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and

Denmark, in 1934 and 1937. They are second cousins once
removed through King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins
through Queen Victoria. After another meeting at the Royal Naval
College in Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth—though only 13 years
old—said she fell in love with Philip, and they began to exchange
letters.  She was 21 when their engagement was officially announced
on 9 July 1947.

The engagement was not without controversy; Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born (though
a British subject who had served in the Royal Navy throughout the Second World War), and had sisters who had
married German noblemen with Nazi links.  Before the marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles,
officially converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and adopted the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten,
taking the surname of his mother's British family. Just before the wedding, he was created Duke of Edinburgh and
granted the style ‘’His Royal Highness’’.

Elizabeth and Philip were married on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They received 2,500
wedding gifts from around the world. Because Britain had not yet completely recovered from the devastation of
the war, Elizabeth required ration coupons to buy the material for her gown, which was designed by Norman
Hartnell. In post-war Britain, it was
not acceptable for Philip's German
relations, including his three
surviving sisters, to be invited to
the wedding. The Duke of Windsor,
formerly King Edward VIII, was
not invited either.
 3. REIGN

3.1 Accession and coronation

During 1951, George VI's health declined, and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events.
When she toured Canada and visited President Harry S. Truman in Washington, D.C., in October 1951, her
private secretary, Martin Charteris, carried a draft accession declaration in case the King died while she was on
tour. In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of Kenya. On 6
February 1952, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after a night spent at Treetops Hotel,
when word arrived of the death of the King and consequently Elizabeth's immediate accession to the throne.
Philip broke the news to the new queen. Martin Charteris asked her to choose a regnal name; she chose to remain
Elizabeth, "of course". She was proclaimed queen throughout her realms and the royal party hastily returned to the
United Kingdom. She and the Duke of Edinburgh moved into Buckingham Palace.

With Elizabeth's accession, it seemed probable the royal house would bear the Duke of Edinburgh's name,
in line with the custom of a wife taking her husband's surname on marriage. The Duke's uncle, Lord Mountbatten,
advocated the name House of Mountbatten. Philip suggested House of Edinburgh, after his ducal title. The British
Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and Elizabeth's grandmother, Queen Mary, favoured the retention of
the House of Windsor, and so on 9 April 1952 Elizabeth issued a declaration that Windsor would continue to be
the name of the royal house. The Duke complained, "I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his
name to his own children." In 1960, after the death of Queen Mary in 1953 and the resignation of Churchill in
1955, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor was adopted for Philip and Elizabeth's male-line descendants who do
not carry royal titles.
 Despite the death of Queen Mary on 24 March, the coronation on 2 June 1953 went ahead as planned, as
Mary had asked before she died. The ceremony in Westminster Abbey, with the exception of
the anointing and communion, was televised for the first time. Elizabeth's coronation gown was embroidered on
her instructions with the floral emblems of Commonwealth countries: English Tudor rose; Scots thistle;
Welsh leek; Irish shamrock; Australian wattle; Canadian maple leaf; New Zealand silver fern; South
African protea; lotus flowers for India and Ceylon; and Pakistan's wheat, cotton, and jute.

3.2 Continuing evolution of the Commonwealth

From Elizabeth's birth onwards, the British Empire continued its transformation into the Commonwealth
of Nations. By the time of her accession in 1952, her role as head of multiple independent states was already
established. In 1953, the Queen and her husband embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour, visiting 13
countries and covering more than 40,000 miles by land, sea and
air. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New
Zealand to visit those nations. During the tour, crowds were
immense; three-quarters of the population of Australia were
estimated to have seen her. Throughout her reign, the Queen has
made hundreds of state visits to other countries and tours of the
Commonwealth; she is the most widely travelled head of state.

In 1956, the British and French prime ministers,

Sir Anthony Eden and Guy Mollet, discussed the possibility of
France joining the Commonwealth. The proposal was never
accepted and the following year France signed the Treaty of Rome,
which established the European Economic Community, the
precursor to the European Union. In November 1956, Britain and
France invaded Egypt in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to
capture the Suez Canal. Lord Mountbatten claimed the Queen was
opposed to the invasion, though Eden denied it. Eden resigned two months later.

The absence of a formal mechanism within the Conservative Party for choosing a leader meant that,
following Eden's resignation, it fell to the Queen to decide whom to commission to form a government. Eden
recommended she consult Lord Salisbury, the Lord President of the Council. Lord Salisbury and Lord Kilmuir,
the Lord Chancellor, consulted the British Cabinet, Churchill, and the Chairman of the backbench 1922
Committee, resulting in the Queen appointing their recommended candidate: Harold Macmillan.

The Suez crisis and the choice of Eden's successor led, in 1957, to the first major personal criticism of the
Queen. In a magazine, which he owned and edited, Lord Altrincham accused her of being "out of
touch". Altrincham was denounced by public figures and slapped by a member of the public appalled by his
comments. Six years later, in 1963, Macmillan resigned and advised the Queen to appoint the Earl of Home as
prime minister, advice she followed. The Queen again came under criticism for appointing the prime minister on
the advice of a small number of ministers or a single minister. In 1965 the Conservatives adopted a formal
mechanism for electing a leader, thus relieving her of involvement.

In 1957 she made a state visit to the United States, where she addressed the United Nations General
Assembly on behalf of the Commonwealth. On the same tour, she opened the 23rd Canadian Parliament,
becoming the first monarch of Canada to open a parliamentary session. Two years later, solely in her capacity as
Queen of Canada, she revisited the United States and toured Canada. In 1961 she toured Cyprus, India, Pakistan,
Nepal, and Iran. On a visit to Ghana the same year, she dismissed fears for her safety, even though her
host, President Kwame Nkrumah, who had replaced her as head of state, was a target for assassins.  Elizabeth's
pregnancies with Princes Andrew and Edward, in 1959 and 1963, mark the only times she has not performed
the State Opening of the British parliament during her reign

3.3 Acceleration of decolonisation

The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in the decolonisation of Africa and the Caribbean. Over 20
countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however,
the Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Smith, in opposition to moves towards majority rule, unilaterally declared
independence while expressing "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth. Although the Queen formally dismissed him,
and the international community applied sanctions against Rhodesia, his regime survived for over a decade. As
Britain's ties to its former empire weakened, the British government sought entry to the European Community, a
goal it achieved in 1973.

In February 1974, the British Prime Minister, Edward Heath, advised the Queen to call a general
election in the middle of her tour of the Austronesian Pacific Rim, requiring her to fly back to Britain.  The
election resulted in a hung parliament; Heath's Conservatives were not the largest party, but could stay in office if
they formed a coalition with the Liberals. Heath only resigned when discussions on forming a coalition foundered,
after which the Queen asked the Leader of the Opposition, Labour's Harold Wilson, to form a government.
 A year later, at the height of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Australian Prime
Minister, Gough Whitlam, was dismissed from his post by Governor-General Sir John Kerr, after the Opposition-
controlled Senate rejected Whitlam's budget proposals. As Whitlam had a majority in the House of
Representatives, Speaker Gordon Scholes appealed to the Queen to reverse Kerr's decision. She declined, saying
she would not interfere in decisions reserved by the Constitution of Australia for the Governor-General.  The
crisis fuelled Australian republicanism.
 Bibliography

Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Gary (2002). Fifty Years the Queen. Toronto: Dundurn Press. 

Bradford, Sarah (2012). Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times. London: Penguin.

Crawford, Marion (1950). The Little Princesses. London: Cassell & Co.

Hardman, Robert (2011). Our Queen. London: Hutchinson.

Hoey, Brian (2002). Her Majesty: Fifty Regal Years. London: HarperCollins.

Pimlott, Ben (2001). The Queen: Elizabeth II and the Monarchy. London: HarperCollins.

”About Her Majesty The Queen” available from https://www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen

”Heir presumptive” available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II#Heir_presumptive

”Elizabeth II” available from https://www.biography.com/royalty/queen-elizabeth-ii